DREAMers demand Kobach end his lawsuit against DACA

Group also asks secretary of state to resign

DREAMers from Kansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona and Georgia on Tuesday afternoon rallied in front of Secretary of State Kris Kobach's office, 120 S.W. 10th Ave. The group called on Kobach to resign and quit spreading anti-immigration messages.

A group of young people from across the country gathered outside Kris Kobach’s office Tuesday and demanded the secretary of state step down and stop his anti-immigration messages.

About 60 people — including undocumented workers — chanted “Kobach, Kobach, come on out, see what DREAMers are all about” and “Fighting for justice and an education.”

The group — the Kansas DREAMers — joined with Sunflower Community Action, the Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas, and Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation to “confront Kris Kobach and hold him accountable for the damage he has caused to their families and their communities,” a news release states.

Kobach has helped craft laws cracking down on illegal immigration in states like Arizona and Alabama. He also pushed successfully in Kansas for a law requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls.

Kobach, who was Mitt Romney’s immigration advisor, also has filed a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA protects young immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation and grants them access to work permits.

A small group of DREAMers went inside the building that houses Kobach’s office at 120 S.W. 10th Ave. to visit with the secretary of state. Kay Curtis, spokeswoman for the secretary of state, told the group Kobach’s office doesn’t handle immigration issues and he was too busy to meet with them.

Curtis informed the group she would deliver their letter to Kobach.

Kobach told The Associated Press on Tuesday he had read through the group’s letter but thought it was inappropriate for him to meet with students because he tries to separate his official duties from his outside interest.

“The audacity of these illegal aliens is amazing,” Kobach told The Associated Press. “First they demand that we not enforce the laws against them. And now they demand that a public official who believes in the rule of law should step down. Illegal means illegal, and that’s a very simple concept to understand, and yet they want me to ignore the fact that the law has meaning in Kansas.”

DREAMer Ernesto de la Rosa, 24, a public administration graduate student at Wichita State University, said he wants reform for immigration in this country.

“We want him to stop the hate and discrimination he has been spreading around to other states,” de la Rosa said. “We want to let them know that there are 50 million Latino voters out there who are making a difference. Those who spread discrimination will be remembered, and we will support those who support our community.”

To be eligible for deferred deportation applicants must have come to the U.S. before they turned 16, be 30 or younger, be high school graduates or in college, or have served in the military, according to The Associated Press.

The plan to halt deportations closely mirrors the failed DREAM Act, a bill that would have provided a path to legalization for many of the same immigrants expected to benefit from the government’s deferred action policy. The new policy doesn’t provide legal status for the immigrants.

“The DREAM Act has been proposed in 24 different bills in Congress and it has been rejected every time,” Kobach told The Associated Press. “If they want to hold a protest in favor of the DREAM Act they ought to be holding a protest on Capitol Hill. They seem more interested in having public officials ignore the law.”

The message DREAMers wanted to deliver, according to a news release, was: “You cost your party our support. It’s time to resign as Kansas Secretary of State, and to stop taking your anti-immigration message to other states.”

The release also says Kobach is “the author of many state anti-immigrant laws, including Arizona’s SB 1070 and Alabama’s HB 56. Currently, Kobach is the lead counsel in a lawsuit to end the President’s wildly popular ‘deferred action’ for DREAMers program, which protects immigrant youth from deportation.”

Victor Perez, of Alabama, also took part in the DREAMer rally.

Perez said it was ironic that Kobach couldn’t meet with DREAMers because he was too busy working and his office doesn’t handle immigration issues, yet Kobach spends time crafting anti-immigration policies.

“I was more than grateful to be a part of this,” Perez said.

Yovany Diaz, 21, of Georgia, who is an undocumented youth, said he came to Kansas because “my community in Georgia has been greatly impacted by Kris Kobach.”

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of
civility. Posts and comments do not reflect the views of this site.
Posts and comments are automatically checked for inappropriate
language, but readers might find some comments offensive or
inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the
"Flag as offensive" link below the comment.

You will never get him to admit he is wrong, it's against his religion. Not the Bible-based one, the other one that says politicians can not be perceived as being wrong , if they want to get re-elected. Little does he know that, based on his performance, he'll be given an opportunity to moonlight full-time, away from State employment.

Even as Romney tried to distance himself from Kobach. Old, outdated and irrelevant. But I'm sure Kobach will find a new issue of the day to hang his hat on. Immigration has and always will be a cyclical issue, and Kobach has ridden it to the end of its cycle. Either wait ten years for it to come back around again, or find a new populist issue to politic on!

Master of deflection, I'm telling you, you guys! It's like super cool when you can look at a couple of stances someone has that are perfectly reasonable and then compare those stances to extremists! It's a super fun way to think you won the debate, you guys!

Here, check it out!

"Yo dude, do you like love your country and stuff?"

"Yeah, I love America, bro! America is awesome!"

"You know who else loved his country? Hitler! Why are you so much like Hitler, you crazy fascist?!"

between being against immigration and being against illegal immigration. It seems to me that what the illegal immigrants really want is an "open border" and the United States to be a part of Mexico. We could call it Americo and everybody would be happy, right?The Mexican gang wars could be part of our new reality.

You and the other hard liners look at the surface and not below it. You blame Obama for an open door policy that was up running very well during the Bush years. The Gray, you say "How dare you take issue with people who break the law!" Don't you think Kobach broke the law when he flew to another state to work on immigration issues during time he was supposed to be working as the head of the elections office in Kansas? Don't you think Brownback broke the law when he invited Republicans to the governor's mansion to talk about his plans for the last Legislative session? For you people it is only the illegal immigrants who need to be pointed out as law breakers. Now let me make it clear. I do not want illegal immigrants either. But I know that big business has given lots of money to politicians so the influx of illegals would not be shut down. Business wants cheap labor. They take advantage of the illegals and contribute large amounts of re-election money to politicians who look the other way. Put the blame on the politicians who do nothing to punish business who hire illegals. If there was no work and no welfare for illegals they would stay in their own countries.

Yes. How dare the illegals demonstrate? They do not fear being sent to whatever their country is. They will just come back. They dare because business want them here and politicians turn a blind eye after being given contributions for their re-election war chests by the big business'. The fact that they are illegal and brazen does not change Kobach's behavior. Kobach is advocating heartless laws. Why doesn't he help make laws that punishes the business' that hire them. He could start with our famous salad making company right here in Topeka. That company has been raided at least 3 times. Illegals have been arrested and sent back to their countries but that company is still hiring illegals.

If your comment about 16,000 new IRS Agents was tied to the rumor about Obamacare requiring their hiring that is an untrue statement. There is actually nothing in the Affordable Care Act that authorizes such a move. Look at www.factcheck.org for more info.

First off, you know I was being satirical, right? I just want to make sure that isn't lost on you. We've had our misunderstandings before that left me scratching my head. You and JVC tend to miss the point a lot.

Secondly, I haven't blamed Obama for anything he's not guilty of. He didn't start this, but he's been in the big boy chair for four years and he certainly isn't ending it. Secure the border and then we can talk about all of this dreamer stuff.

Third, no, Kobach has not broken the law in serving as a legal consultant. So, yeah... Not sure what you thought you were getting at, but I assure you that you didn't get at it the way you wanted to.

Third, it's impossible for one man to violate open meetings, so again, not sure what you were hoping to get at, but Brownback did not violate the law at all. DA Taylor even said that there was no violation of open meetings on the part of others. And before you respond the way the lefties here have (I read the comments long before I joined CJ), Taylor said "if", "IF(!)" there were violations, they were of a technical nature. Meaning, we're not sure they occurred, but even if they did, it's not that big of a deal. Ooooooo, the Democrats really have the Republicans over a barrel this time! Liberals were grasping at straws on this one from the beginning. I'm kind of surprised you brought it up (it shows that you really don't know how to construct an effective argument).

Fourth, what do you mean by "you people"? Check the racism, son.

Fifth, the rest is just vague leftist rhetoric about the evils of "big business". You KNOW these illegal immigrants have violated federal law just by being here, but you're more concerned with the legal violations you THINK Kobach has committed (Spoiler alert: he hasn't).

Funny thing is, the liberals and Democratic politicians are all about civil liberties for illegal aliens, and candy coat the issue with their rhetoric, but if American citizens,want to fly across the country to see relatives they have to go through some of the most aggregious prison inmate like inspections just to get on the airplane by the TSA.

Kris Kobach is a busy man. In addition to serving as the Republican secretary of state of Kansas and an immigration adviser to GOP presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney, and representing several groups fighting the presence of illegal immigrants in the U.S., he's now a lawyer for Mississippi.

#Gov. Phil Bryant announced Oct. 10 that Kobach would represent Mississippi in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over President Barack Obama's decision to stop deporting young undocumented immigrants.

To allay fears about the possible costs of a lawsuit against the White House, Bryant assured taxpayers the state would be represented at no cost to taxpayers by Texas attorney Michael Jung and "immigration law expert" Kobach.

#However, Kobach's credentials on immigration issues are more expansive, and controversial, that Bryant acknowledged. Kobach has had a direct role in shaping GOP immigration policy for years as an adviser to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft under President Bush and, later, through his relationship with Romney, which has been muddy.

#In a January 2012 speech accepting Kobach's endorsement, Romney said: "Kris has been a true leader on securing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into this country." When interviewed by Spanish-language radio network Univision America in September, Romney demurred when asked about his ties to Kobach, saying that he had never met the man, CNN's Peter Hamby reported. Later, the Romney campaign told Hamby that Kobach and the Romney had met at campaign events but that Kobach only "contributes informal advice periodically" and doesn't sit on policy briefings.

#Additionally, Arizona's controversial anti-illegal immigration law SB 1070, which Kobach assisted in drafting, served as a model for similar measures in Alabama and Mississippi. Obama hinted at Kobach's connection to Romney and SB 1070 at the Oct. 16 presidential debate against Romney during a testy exchange over immigration policy.

As I noted in a recent column, Kobach was alleged to have made $100,000, while secretary of state, as part of his involvement with Farmers Branch, Texas. The Federation of American Immigration Reform hired him to author an anti-immigration ordinance, according to the past mayor pro tem of that city.

Kobach received payment from the law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, and Stewart, which claims to be one of America’s leading labor and employment law firms.

Kobach received payment from the city of Fremont, Neb., where he drafted an anti-illegal immigration ordinance.

Kobach received payment from Snell & Wilmer, a law firm in Arizona.

Kobach received payment from Maricopa County, Ariz., where he charged $300 an hour and a monthly stipend of $1,500 plus expenses, according to National Public Radio. Kobach had helped draft the famous anti-illegal laws of that state.

Kobach received payment by Digital Ally, Inc., which specializes in security cameras.

Kobach received payment from the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund in St. Louis, Mo., an organization founded by Phyllis Schlafly.

Kobach received payment from the 7th District Missouri Republican Assembly.

Kobach received payment from The Federalist Society, a very conservative legal organization.

Kobach received payment from CMP Susquehanna Corp. as a Sunday night radio talk show host for a station in Kansas City.

But the number one benefactor is the Immigration Reform Law Institute, where Kobach serves as counsel. This organization focuses on anti-illegal immigration reform across the United States. And it is a pot of money for Kobach that is presumably quite substantial.

If you and/or your parents came to this country illegaly then you should go home. Just because an alien manages to get here through illicit means doesn't warrant giving him or her an opportunity to stay. That would be rewarding bad, I mean 'illegal' behavior.

I'm amazed how often proponents of rewarding illegal imigration confuse hate and discrimination with basic national sovereignty diligence. We are not running some banana republic here, we take citizenship seriously and are right to protect it.

Immigrants to this country should follow one simple rule: Obey the laws of the U.S. Among other things, that means applying for citizenship through the proper and legal channels, and paying your frickin' taxes. You do those things, and I say, "Welcome to America."

contained undocumented workers? One "undocumented youth" is all that is mentioned. Did the reporter ask for papers of the undocumented youth?

Immigration is a problem and there needs to be a serious and prolonged dialogue about what we are going to do about it and how to best handle it for the greatest number of people. And once again Kobach demonstrates his "greatness", his bravery, his moral fiber as a human being. Too busy to speak with these young people for ten minutes? Really. What was he afraid of - that he might find out these demon immigrants are actually human beings, just like him, except not as cowardly and immoral? He certainly has plenty of time to handle the state's business and every other state's business. He doesn't "handle" immigration but he is an expert on immigration law, isn't he? Isn't that why he gets paid the big bucks to peddle his paranoia and prejudice all over the US? I mean our man Mitt hired him to handle this political hot potato for him, and as a highly moral, highly skilled, highly knowledgable immigration law attorney we see how well that worked out.

Rarely have I been as thoroughly disgusted by an elected offical as I am over Kobach's refusal to meet ten minutes with these young people. What a man! What a Christian! What a stand-up all-American Kris Kobach is!

I didn't down vote you, but to be fair, some here could simply feel that mass deportation is not the solution (since it would be virtually impossible to implement).

I know you were probably saying what "should" occur, but many commenters simply skim, check for buzz words or phrases they disagree with, down vote you, and then bail. No debate, no "here is how I disagree and why", just down vote and bail.

Edit: My point has been proven with the feedback on this post. I love how these clowns have absolutely no sense of irony.